Sharp Impact or Cuts

Incised wound (longer than deep, clean edges, no tissue bridges)

Sharp force injury caused by a blade moving across the skin (knife, razor, sword). Usually cut/slash mechanism. Often associated with suicide when found on wrists or neck with hesitation marks, but may be homicide if numerous or defensive injuries are present. Clean edges occur because tissue is sharply divided rather than torn

Stab wound (deeper than long)

Sharp force injury caused by a pointed object penetrating the body. Commonly produced by knives, screwdrivers, scissors, ice picks, or glass. Frequently associated with homicide when multiple deep wounds are present. Can indicate suicide if only one fatal wound with progressively deeper trial wounds is present

Chop wound (sharp injury with bruising/crushing)

Produced by heavy sharp-edged weapons such as axes, machetes, or cleavers. Combines sharp and blunt force trauma. Usually associated with homicide because of the force required and severe tissue destruction

Clean wound edges with no tissue bridges

Classic indicator of sharp force trauma. Supports incised or stab wound rather than laceration from blunt force trauma because tissues were cut rather than torn

Tissue bridges present within wound

Suggests laceration caused by blunt force trauma rather than a sharp force injury because blood vessels and connective tissues remain partially intact

Wound longer than deep

Characteristic of an incised wound caused by slicing action of a blade across the skin

Wound deeper than long

Characteristic of a stab wound caused by penetration of a pointed object into the body

Progressively shallower wound from one end to the other

Typical incised wound showing entrance and exit. The deeper end marks where the blade first contacted the skin

Short deep tail at one end and long shallow tail at the other

Incised wound. Indicates direction of blade movement. Shorter deeper tail usually marks entrance

longer superficial tail usually marks exit

Multiple parallel superficial cuts near fatal wound

Hesitation marks. Strong indicator of suicide because the victim made trial cuts before inflicting the fatal injury

Progressively deeper stab wounds ending in one fatal stab

Hesitation stab pattern. Strong evidence for suicide because the victim tested pressure and location before the final fatal wound

Single deep stab wound to chest with surrounding superficial trial wounds

Most consistent with suicidal stabbing due to hesitation behavior

Numerous deep stab wounds scattered across body

Most consistent with homicide because repeated forceful attacks are typical of assaults

Random wound distribution across body

Homicide is more likely because attackers strike wherever accessible rather than targeting a specific self-inflicted location

Wounds only on accessible body areas (wrists, neck, chest)

Supports suicide because individuals can only easily injure reachable locations

Posterior body wounds (back, back of neck, etc.)

Strongly favor homicide because self-inflicted sharp force injuries rarely occur in inaccessible locations

Defense wounds on palms

Active defense injuries. Suggest victim grabbed the blade during an assault. Strong indicator of homicide

Defense wounds on forearms or backs of hands

Passive defense injuries. Suggest victim raised arms to block attack. Strong indicator of homicide

Clothing cut directly over wounds

Supports homicide because victims are often attacked while clothed

Fatal wound with clothing deliberately moved or removed

Supports suicide because victims often expose the intended target area before injury

Neck incised wound with hesitation marks

Classic suicidal sharp force injury due to accessible location and presence of trial cuts

Wrist incised wound with hesitation marks

Classic suicidal sharp force injury due to accessible location and trial cuts

Deep chest stab wound with no defense injuries

May indicate suicide if accompanied by hesitation marks and accessible location

Deep chest stab wound with defense injuries

More consistent with homicide because victim attempted self-protection

Complete severing of body part (finger, ear, hand, etc.)

Mutilation injury caused by vigorous sharp force trauma. Often associated with homicide, severe assaults, or machinery accidents depending on circumstances

Linear superficial scratch from blade

Sharp-force abrasion caused by minimal blade penetration into epidermis

Multiple separated cuts created by one motion over folded skin

Wrinkle wounds. Caused when a blade moves across creased surfaces such as hands, knuckles, or breasts

V-shaped stab wound

Suggests twisting of the knife while inside the body before withdrawal

Y-shaped stab wound

Suggests twisting or movement of blade within wound track, commonly seen with knife manipulation

L-shaped stab wound

Suggests rotation or redirection of knife during penetration or withdrawal

Irregular stab wound despite sharp weapon

May indicate twisting, movement of victim, or movement of weapon during stabbing

Abrasion or bruise around stab entrance

May indicate knife guard or handle contacted the skin during forceful penetration

Patterned abrasion matching knife handle

Handle mark. Indicates entire blade entered the body and significant force was used

Cross-shaped puncture wound

Suggests cross-tip screwdriver as weapon because wound mirrors tip shape

Rectangular puncture wound

Suggests flathead screwdriver as weapon because wound mirrors blade shape

Small round puncture resembling mole

Suggests ice-pick injury due to narrow pointed tip and deep penetration capability

Triangular wound

Suggests stab with closed scissors because the wound reflects scissor tip shape

Rhomboid wound

Suggests stab with closed scissors because the wound reflects scissor tip shape

Z-shaped wound

Suggests stab with closed scissors because the wound reflects scissor tip shape

Two puncture wounds separated by intact skin bridge

Suggests open scissors because each blade creates a separate wound

Four evenly spaced circular punctures

Suggests kitchen fork injury because wounds correspond to four prongs

Two or three punctures grouped together

Suggests barbecue fork injury corresponding to number of prongs

Multiple punctures connected by curved superficial cut

Suggests broken bottle or glass weapon because multiple glass projections entered simultaneously

Large parallel slicing wounds on body recovered from water

Suggests boat propeller injury. Usually accidental but circumstances must be evaluated

Chop wound with skull indentation

Suggests heavy sharp weapon such as axe or machete struck the head

Chop wound with skull fracture

Suggests extremely forceful impact from heavy sharp weapon

Partial limb amputation with bruising and fractures

Characteristic chop wound from heavy sharp weapon

Clean narrow chop wound with minimal fracture

Suggests cleaver injury

Wide irregular chop wound with bone fragments

Suggests machete injury

Crushing fragmented wound with fractures

Suggests axe injury

Profuse external bleeding with sharp wound

Death likely due to exsanguination (blood loss) from sharp force trauma

Extremely pale internal organs during autopsy

Suggests fatal blood loss from sharp force injury

Sharp wound involving neck vessels

Death likely due to exsanguination because major blood vessels were severed

Sharp wound involving wrist arteries

Death may be due to exsanguination because superficial arteries were severed

Sharp wound involving heart

Death likely due to direct organ injury, hemorrhage, or cardiac tamponade

Sharp wound involving lung

Death may result from hemorrhage or pneumothorax caused by penetration of lung tissue

Sharp wound with air embolism findings

Death caused by vascular injury allowing air to enter circulation and reach the heart

Retained knife fragment on imaging

Confirms sharp force trauma and helps identify weapon involved

Pneumothorax on postmortem imaging after stabbing

Supports fatal chest penetration causing lung collapse

Sharp force wound with no surrounding hemorrhage in decomposed water-recovered body

Does not rule out antemortem injury because immersion may wash blood away

Hemorrhage present around sharp wound

Strong evidence injury occurred before death because circulation was active when wound was inflicted